Whereas the majority of modern-day pubgoers sit in well-appointed isolation, the clientele at The Turf talk to each other. No sooner have I stepped up to the bar than Zena, the landlady, introduces me to Peter, who is now retired, after a lifetime working for Lucas.

Over a pint of lovely Folklore bitter (ruby and caramel flavour, 3.9% abv), Peter tells me how he is attempting to visit every Football League club ground for the second time around. And over another pint of resident ale Otter Bright (4.3%), he says how, even though he lives 20 miles away, he always makes a detour to The Turf if he’s in the area.

Next, there’s a tap on the window, and in through the door come fellow-regulars Eric and Terry, followed by two men making a pilgrimage around the pubs of the Black Country. They’ve made a point of coming here because it’s a perfectly preserved version of what pubs used to be.

The name of the licensee, as inscribed on the sign over the front door, is Doris Hiscott-Wilkes, who is “licensed to sell ale, cider, wine and spirits, to be consumed on the premises”. This, it turns out, refers to Zena’s mother, who ran the tavern before her (the place has been in the same family for 140 years).

There are generations of drinkers who have come here over that period. And plenty who travel long distances not just to drink the beer, but to absorb the atmosphere.

No matter that there is another pub just 50 yards away, with the World Cup on Sky and any number of lagers (The Turf serves only bitter and mild). Like two adjacent rug stalls in a Middle Eastern bazaar, the two businesses survive despite their proximity, as they both serve different clienteles.

What’s more, The Turf has stood its ground since the early 1870s. For whereas modern pub chains spend a fortune trying to fake a cosy, front-parlour ambience, The Turf already has it. Helped in no small part by the fact that it actually is a front parlour. And as cosy as can be. The Turf Tavern, 13 Wolverhampton Road, Bloxwich (01922 407745). Open lunchtimes Fri-Sun only (12.30-2.30pm) and evenings (7-11pm) – ring first to check